Twilight Fire
by Legyviel's Lament
Summary: Years after the war, Harry sets off to find Draco Malfoy, and tracks him down to the most unexpected place on earth, and finds some truths of his own. Contains HD, HG and DG. Summary will change as i write...ye be warned
1. Epilogue

_Disclaimer: All belongs to JK Rowling. 'Tis not worth suing me, believe me ;)_

_A/N: My first foray into fanfiction, so of course it rocks. coughcough. ;) Much thanks to Alex for Beta work, and more is coming soon :)_

**Twilight Fire**

'_He is burning, burning in the twilight.  
He is burning, turning to face us.  
He is burning, fire in the twilight.  
He is burning, turning to lead us away…'_

_Wang Chung_

There was limp red hair spread out on the white pillow, and a pale check hidden underneath the fiery waterfall. It had been a dream once, the existence they had shared, but now it was only a shadow of a memory, lost but not forgotten, hidden away in the darkest recesses of a broken mind.

Harry looked down at Ginny's face (sleeping peacefully, he told himself. Only sleeping) and felt the bitterness rush back the same way it did every time he saw her. Which was every day, so his life had been reduced to a spiraling vortex of pain and regret, anger and tears. He didn't like it, but it was sad- and true.

"Harry?" a soft voice behind him said. Harry looked over his shoulder at Hermione. She has her hands clasped together, soft lips pressed together in worry, brown eyes huge in a world weary face. Harry shook his head.

"There's no change. There's never any change. Why won't she wake up?" His voice was sad, not angry as it once might have been, and he felt a great weight settle on his shoulders. He felt stooped, old, as if the war has never been won and they were still fighting, fighting every day for their lives and the lives of their loved ones.

Harry stared down at the sleeping Ginny again, spared one glance at Hermione and left the bright, sun-lit room. He clambered down the stairs, through the lounge and out into the mid-afternoon sun, a playful breeze messing up his already disheveled hair. He breathed, long, deep, hard.

The Burrow had not changed. One would think, having survived a life-shattering war and being the new stronghold of the Order, that the place would be at least a little altered, but it hasn't changed a bit and for that Harry was glad. The world could spin off its axis and the heavens crumble, but the Burrow would stay the same, because everyone needs some constant in their lives and this was it for Harry. He would fight for it like he's fought for his life, his sanity, his love and his hope.

_But Ginny is lying upstairs, sleeping as if dead, so maybe you didn't fight hard enough…_ the thought came unbidden, unwanted. Harry shook his head and shoved his hands into his pockets. He had tried telling himself it wasn't his fault, that the curse on Ginny had not been a side-effect of the war, but something deeper, placed on her before it began.

It hadn't worked- he still felt that jolt every time he saw her, and knew it for what it was. He still needed something or someone to blame, in order to make the curse defeatable, so he blamed himself, and spent the rest of his time searching for a cure.

"Harry? Molly's saying lunch is ready, come back in the house," Hermione said from where she was suddenly standing next to him. Harry blinked at her, wondering how he hadn't heard her approach, but she looked at him and smiled and it didn't matter after all, because she was there and it would all be okay.

Strong, capable Hermione, searching through the library every day since Ron had died, since his sister had fallen, searching tirelessly for a solution, a cause, a cure, a redemption. Intelligent, unchanging Hermione, the only one of the Trio who had survived the war, because really Harry had fallen when Ginny had. Harry looked away from her and, hands still shoved in the pockets of his jeans, hunched his shoulder.

"I'm not hungry," he said softly. Hermione sighed.

"You have to eat sometime you know, starving yourself won't help anyone and if you skip one more meal I'm going to start force-feeding you, so help me God!" she said, eyes snapping. Harry smiled, a slow curve of his lips.

"I love it when you get angry. You always look so beautiful," he said. Hermione gaped.

"Harry…what-" she said, unable to continue. Harry bit his lip.

"I'm sorry. It's just that, since Ron died, there's no-one to tell you these little things, and you always look so careworn and beaten…" he said in a small voice. Maybe once, tears would have filled Hermione's eyes at the sentiment, maybe once she would have thrown her arms around Harry and told him he was the best friend in the world, the brother she never had. Now, though, she just looked at him, looked into his glinting, tired green eyes and wondered at the irony.

"Have looked in the mirror lately? Might as well be describing yourself," she said, shaking her head.

"I'm fine," Harry mumbled, shivering in the warm sunlight. Hermione's sudden bark of laughter surprised him and he looked up.

"Harry Potter, you are so far from fine it's not even funny. Don't cite that bullshit to me. You can do it with everyone else, but don't you dare try it on me," she said, glaring at him. Harry gave her a sidelong look, but said nothing in return. Hermione sighed and began walking towards the house.

"Come and have lunch before I have to drag you back in," she called over her shoulder. Harry waited a couple of minutes, then snuck back into the house and spent the rest of the day (and most of the night) on his chair next to Ginny's bed. He dozed, once or twice, but never for long. He kept being woken up by flashes of green light.


	2. The Charge

_Disclaimer: it's all Rowling's, damn her ;)  
A/N: Once again, thanks to Alex for Betaing. I think i'm starting to annoy her but she doesn't want to say it...hehehe :D_

**The Charge**

"_Ron, no!"_

"_Step aside, Weasel."_

"_I made you a promise, Harry, and I intend to keep it."_

"_Merlin's beard Ron, now's not the time, MOVE before he-"_

"_Too late, Weasel. Avada-"_

"_RON!"_

Harry woke with a start. He felt wetness on his face, and realized he had been crying. Hastily wiping away his tears, he stretched and moved his neck from side to side to get the crick out of it.

In her bed, Ginny stirred.

Harry's breathe caught in his throat, and he waited with bated breathe for more, but Ginny simply sighed and settled back into sleep. The moonlight slanting in through the window lit up her face, giving it a beautiful and unearthly glow. Harry leaned forward slightly, and his breathe ghosted over her sleep-flushed skin. Slowly, he pressed his lips to her check. Ginny stirred again, but this time her eyes fluttered and opened.

"Harry?" Her voice was croaky with sleep, and she immediately started coughing, a heart-wrenching, gut-pulling fit that caused her eyes to run and her nose to stream. Harry quickly summoned some water and tissues, and waited till she had collected herself. Ginny sighed painfully and cursed, leaning back on the pillows Harry had propped up for her.

"Of all the damnedest, bloody, fu-"

"Don't let your mother hear you say that, she'll probably throw a fit," Harry said, grinning at her. Ginny grinned back, and it was almost her old grin, shit-eating, carefree grin. Summer sun and quiddich victory grin.

Harry let out a breathe he didn't remember holding and suddenly she was in his arms, and he was hugging her like he was afraid if he let go she'd fall apart. She felt weightless in his arms, almost as if she wasn't there. Ginny winced slightly and pulled back.

"Yeah, I didn't need those ribs anyway," she said. Harry blushed.

"Sorry. It's just that I- we thought this time…and I couldn't bear it if…."

"I've still got plenty of fight in me yet," Ginny said, smiling up at him. But then her face twisted in pain and she leaned forward, clutching her side, and she was coughing like there was no tomorrow. She put her hand to her mouth in a vain attempt to muffle her coughs, and when she pulled it back, Harry saw-

"Blood! Ginny, you're-"

"Shh, it's ok," she said, voice raspy from coughing. Harry summoned more water but she shook her head, moving in one quick movement to clutch at his shirt and pull him forward so that their lips were mere centimeters apart. Harry blushed again and she rolled her eyes.

"Harry, listen to me. I need you to- ah!" she gasped, doubling over in pain as it stabbed through her body again. Harry was on the verge of panic.

"Ginny listen, you're sick, you need to sleep, let me give you a sleeping draught. You can tell me whatever you need to later-"

"Listen to me, you stupid hero," Harry tried to ignore the insult. She yanked him back towards her. "I need you to do something for me, and don't tell me you can't, because knowing you, you're blaming yourself over this and _it's not your fault_ so if you want to help me- find Draco Malfoy" she said in a rush. Harry froze.

"_What?_ But Ginny, he's-"

"Find him Harry, find him before it's too late because damn him, he knows how to fix this and…and…" she looked up, her eyes desperate. "I thought I was strong enough to fight this on my own but I'm not. Please Harry," she finished in a whisper. Harry stared at her.

"But Ginny. We've tried everything, we've got the best mediwizards and witches on it, we've got _Hermione_ on it for god's sake, what could Malfoy possibly-"

"Harry. Listen to me. Get Malfoy. Please, for my sake," Ginny looked at him, and he couldn't deny her, because it was her.

Slowly, Harry nodded his head.

Ginny sighed.

"Good. I-" she groaned, and fell back in bed, breathing harshly. Harry had had enough. He got up, found the sleeping draught, and ordered her to drink it. Ginny glared sullenly at him but did as she was told, gulping it down quickly. It had an immediate effect, and soon enough her eyes were closing again and she was breathing evenly. Harry stood up silently and looked at her for a second, head spinning.

"But no-one even knows where he is," he said, mostly to himself. Ginny cracked an eye open.

"Well, then find him. Are you a wizard or not?" she said sleepily. Harry snorted and tucked the blanket up under her chin.

"G'night, Gin," he said, walking slowly towards the door.

"Night," she called back as Harry reached the door. He stood for a moment just watching her sleep. She looked so peaceful, almost ethereal under the moonlight. Almost perfect.

-----------------------------------------------------------

"Harry."

Hermione was in her dressing robe, sitting on the Weasley's couch and drinking a steaming cup of hot chocolate. Harry sighed as he pulled a jacket on.

"Hermione, where would you go if you were a wizard on the run in the middle of a war you didn't want to choose sides in?" he asked.

"This is something to do with Draco Malfoy, isn't it," Hermione the ever-perceptive said, taking a sip from her mug.

"Am I really that transparent?" Harry asked. Hermione's look said it all and he made a rude gesture towards her. She laughed and motioned him to sit with her.

"Honestly Harry, I don't know. There could be thousands of places he could have gone. San Francisco, New York, Sydney, Rome, anywhere. He could be living in London and we wouldn't find him if he didn't want us to. Why do you ask?"

Harry fidgeted.

"She told me to find him. Said he'd know how to help her," he mumbled, then glared at the floor at the thought that _Malfoy_ might be able to do something he couldn't.

Hermione was silent, but her eyes were suddenly full of tears.

"Harry…"

"Come to think of it, I don't even know how she knows this. She seemed in a bit of a snit, to tell you the truth, and I didn't want to risk an explosion," he grinned.

Hermione looked like she was going to bursting into tears. Harry was startled.

"Hey, hey…what's wrong? I know you're worried about her, we all are, c'mon Hermione, don't cry…" he said, brushing away a few stray tears.

"She wants you to find Draco Malfoy," Hermione whispered, almost to herself. A sudden idea occurred to her and she quickly pulled herself together. "Tell you what…go to the ministry tomorrow. Some of his old friends work there, they might have some idea where he is," Hermione said. Harry's heart sank at the prospect of meeting Malfoy's 'old friends'. Hermione saw his expression and gave a wet laugh.

"Relax darling, they don't bite…much. Well, Blaise does sometimes, but-" Hermione suddenly cut herself off, blushing. Harry stared at her.

"Tell me I'm imagining that blush," he said slowly. Hermione glared at him.

"Just because Ron's dead doesn't mean I've got to stop living too. You need to accept the past and move on, Harry," she said fiercely, and there was something else behind her glare, some spark of desperation Harry didn't dare interpret. He reeled back at her words, stung.

"That's not what I meant and you know it! I think it's great that you're moving on. It's just that, well, Zabini…I mean, I know he defected to the side of light and all that, but he WAS a Slytherin…"

"Oh, for god's- Blaise is a great person, don't you dare hold it against him just because he was a Slytherin. That's so childish," she said, looking disgusted.

"Hermione, I just-"

"Forget it. No, listen, Harry, drop it," there was a pause, and then Hermione stood up with a sigh and made to leave. Harry caught her hand before she left.

"I just…don't want you to get hurt. And I don't trust him not to hurt you," he said earnestly.

"I know Harry. Don't worry about me…I can take care of myself. Go talk to Blaise and Pansy tomorrow. Find Malfoy. It'll do you get to get away from here for a while."

"But Ginny-" Harry began, his eyes glinting feverishly.

"Harry! Listen to me! Ginny's…oh, God," she said, looking into his completely nonplussed face. Abruptly, she turned away, chocking back what sounded suspiciously like a sob.

"I'll tell Blaise you want to see him," she whispered, and left.

Harry sat for a long time and watched the dawn sky, pink and yellow and amazingly free-looking, and decided to go flying.


End file.
